Two more arrested after Farmbox Meats raid near Aberystwyth as horse meat scandal grows

The owner of a processing plant is believed to be among three men arrested by police investigating the horse meat scandal.

Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64, the owner of Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, was arrested on suspicion of offences under the fraud act, sources said, along with a 42-year-old man.

A 63-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence at Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Operations at both plants, which deny any wrongdoing, were suspended on Tuesday as the Food Standards Agency investigates claims horse carcasses were used in place of beef.

On Wednesday, Peter Boddy, 63, insisted the inspection was to look at his records.

Dyfed-Powys police said the three were arrested in a simultaneous operation and would be ‘interviewed jointly by police and FSA staff’.

Horse meat has been found in fresh beef products for the first time.

Asda withdrew its own brand 500g beef bolognese sauce after tests revealed the presence of horse DNA in the meat from a Greencore plant in Bristol.

Samples: A DNA test is carried out on a lasagna in Germany after several supermarket chains in the country withdrew frozen meals as a precaution against tainted food (Picture: AFP)

It also took the precaution of removing a beef broth soup, pasta sauce and a chilli con carne soup from the same supplier in a ‘belt and braces approach’. No horse DNA has been found in these products.